Christmas Blessings
by Irish Rose1
Summary: It's New Year's Eve and Rafe is home.
1. Default Chapter

For those of you who have not read my previous stories they differ from the movie plot, with the exception of Aftermath and Trespasses. Danny and Evelyn never get involved, Evelyn does get pregnant but the baby is Rafe's and Danny does not die in China.

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It was their second Christmas since they had gotten married and this year Evelyn had _two_ children. Danny had turned a year old in September, the day before his baby sister Sarah was born. Rafe had made it home on Christmas Eve the year before but it didn't look like he was going to make it this year. He'd been home for their second Thanksgiving but he and Danny had been sent out on a mission with the other pilots a couple of days later and Evelyn hadn't heard a word, from Rafe or anyone from Wheeler Field.

The last time he'd been away for so long was when Danny had been born and he'd missed it. He'd been determined that he would not miss the birth of their second child and had been allowed to stay off rotation for a longer period of time. She still had hope that he would make it home in time; he still had a couple of days. 

She'd waited as long as she could before she'd finally gotten a tree. She'd wanted to wait until Rafe got home so they could decorate it together. Danny was still too young to help and she had put him in his playpen so he wouldn't get in the way. With so many fragile glass ornaments, it worried her that he could cut himself if he dropped one. He was such a curious child and now that he could walk on his own, without any help from Evelyn or Rafe, she had to be extra careful.

__

It really is a nice tree, Evelyn thought as she stood in front of it and could smell the fragrance from the pine boughs. The girls had promised that they would come over and help her decorate when they had gotten off their shifts at the hospital. So to help expedite matters, she had the lights untangled and the ornaments out of their boxes. Evelyn had always loved Christmas but with Rafe away from her and the children it wasn't as joyful a time as it would have been otherwise. Christmas was for family and her family wasn't complete without him there.

A knock on the front door brought Evelyn out of her reverie and she gave herself a mental shake before she went to answer it. As Barbara had said they would be she, Martha and Sandra were there. 

As soon as Evelyn had closed the door behind them, Barbara hugged her. "How you doing sweetie?"

Evelyn hugged her back. "I'm fine Barbara, just missing my husband."

"That's understandable. Any word if he'll be home in time for Christmas?"

"I haven't heard anything from Rafe, which could be good or bad."

"I'm sure everything is all right Ev. You know what they say about no news being good news." Martha commented.

"I know. I'll just be glad when I see him walk through that front door." She told her friend. 

Evelyn couldn't help but notice that Sandra was quieter than usual. She suspected that her friend missed Danny something awful, but couldn't say it. They had chosen to keep things quiet and Evelyn respected that decision and said nothing. What she did do when Barbara and Martha had gone into the kitchen to make cocktails, was to take Sandra's hand for a moment. "He's one of the best pilots in the Air Corps." She said quietly. 

Sandra smiled at her. "Who's the other one?"

Evelyn smiled back at her. "Rafe, who else?" And they followed the other girls into the kitchen.

Danny had started to get fussy and Evelyn knew her son was ready for bed. So after she put him down, she joined the girls in the living room and they started to decorate the tree.

Bing Crosby was on the radio doing his annual Kraft Music Hall Christmas show and as he opened his program with "Adeste Fidelis", the girls sang along as Barbara helped Evelyn string the lights around the tree. 

"The only thing missing is a fire in a fireplace." Martha observed as she and Sandra organized the ornaments. "We've been here for two years and I still can't get used to the balmy weather."

"You said it honey. Now while I do not miss the snowstorms and the blizzards, it just isn't Christmas without snow." Barbara threw in her two cents.

"Or hot cider." Sandra added.

"That sounds wonderful." Evelyn looked at Sandra and smiled. "I can't remember the last time I had hot cider."

"Or wanted it." Martha laughed. "Who can be in the mood for hot cider when it's not even cold outside?"

That got Sandra to smile, which did not go unnoticed. For Evelyn, the evening became more than to try and get through the holiday without her husband but to help Sandra get through it too. She'd never said anything to Evelyn but even to the most casual observer, Danny and Sandra were crazy about each other. 

Rafe had told her that Danny was always too shy to ask a girl out when they were in school so he never socialized much. But in Sandra, he'd found a girl he felt he could be himself with and she didn't try to make him into someone that he wasn't. Danny had told him that words were not necessary because she seemed to understand what he wanted to say, sometimes before he tried to say it.

As she and Barbara finished with the lights, Martha and Sandra picked up the ornaments off of the coffee table and started to hang them on the tree. Evelyn picked up an ornament and as she hung it on the tree had a memory come to her about a Christmas not long ago. 

She and the girls were still stationed in New York and she'd only known Rafe for a couple of weeks. Barbara was the only one who knew that Evelyn had been seeing him and had kept it to herself. He wasn't that far away, but she missed him. 

"Hey Ev, where are you?" She heard Barbara ask her, her voice soft. 

She smiled at her concerned friend. "I'm all right. I was just remembering a night like this when we were still in New York and Rafe and I had just started to see each other."

She grinned. "You don't know how hard it was to keep that a secret. The girls kept asking me what we were always talking about and I always had to come up with some sort of reason. It was a good thing you told them when you did because I was running out of things to tell them."

Evelyn laughed. "I don't know that I ever told you how much I appreciated you keeping it secret."

Barbara's grin got wider. "Kind of like a certain nurse and pilot we both know, don't you think?"

Evelyn became serious. "Sandra and Danny are a different story. They're two very different people and they don't want to talk about this, to anyone."

"I can see Sandra not talking to any of us, but are you telling me that Danny hasn't said anything about this to Rafe? They're best friends after all."

She shrugged her shoulders. "Rafe says he doesn't want to talk about it and he hasn't pressed the issue."

"So you're saying we shouldn't either?"

"Barbara, Sandra doesn't have to tell us anything if she doesn't want to, even though you want her to." 

She looked absolutely exasperated. "For crying out loud Ev, this is ridiculous!"

Evelyn glanced toward the kitchen where she'd seen Martha and Sandra go a moment before and she frowned. "Barbara it's none of our business, Sandra will tell us if she wants to so let it go."

She sighed. "I'm being an awful pest about this and I know I am."

"Yes you are." She told her friend with a smile. "Just give them time, just like you gave me."

"When you put it that way I'll leave it alone."

"Thank you." 

Barbara grinned. "For now."

Evelyn shook her head and smiled back. "Oh, Barbara." And she tucked her arm through her friend's. "Now that the tree had been decorated, what about those Manhattan's you promised to make us?"

And they headed into the kitchen.


	2. If Only In My Dreams

It was cold that night and the radio had said there was a very good possibility of a blizzard, but for Evelyn it didn't matter. She was at home with a fire in the fireplace and she and the girls had started to decorate the tree. Christmas was still a week away and they all had plans to go home to their families, but they had also decided that they wanted a tree of their own. Their parents had sent some ornaments from home and they had bought a few new ones to hang. 

Bob Hope was on the radio and Evelyn smiled to herself because Rafe had told her that Bob could always make him laugh.

"What's the smile for Ev?" Barbara asked her with a grin.

Evelyn could feel her face start to warm into a blush and tried not to glare at her friend. The situation with Rafe was still so new and she didn't want to have to explain anything to the other girls. "It's almost Christmas and I get to go home for a whole week." 

Barbara looked like she wanted to say something else, but had also decided against it. "That would make me smile too Ev."

Evelyn looked at her and didn't know whether to be exasperated or relieved. As they continued to decorate the tree, the telephone rang and Martha, who was closest to the phone, asked Evelyn if she would answer it. "My hands are full." She said as she started to put tinsel on the tree.

She picked up the receiver before the third ring and when she heard the voice on the other end, was glad she'd been the one to answer it. "Hello Evelyn, it's Rafe."

She glanced at her friends and hoped they wouldn't see her pink cheeks turn red. "Hello."

"You're not by yourself are you?"

She could almost hear the grin in his voice. "We're just finishing with the tree."

"We have a small one in our barracks but is sure ain't the same." He told her.

"I'm sorry to hear that." She answered.

"I'm off duty and was thinkin' about comin' to New York for a few hours. Since it's still early, I thought you could meet me at the coffee shop."

She looked at her watch and it was only six o'clock. "If it's that important, I can leave in ten minutes."

"They still don't know do they?"

"That's right."

"Ten minutes would be fine. It'll take me at least twenty minutes from the time I leave Mitchell, so we should get there about the same time."

"I'll be there."

"I sure hope so. I'll see you soon." And he hung up.

Evelyn sighed because she had no idea what she was going to tell the girls. 

"Is everything all right Ev?" Sandra asked. "You look so serious."

She was struck by an inspiration. "That was the hospital. There was a mix up with some of the files and I need to go straighten it all out." She didn't like to lie and it was difficult for her to be less than truthful with her roommates. She was grateful that Barbara didn't call her on her fib.

"Will you have to be long?" Martha asked with concern. "We were going to have cider and cookies later."

"I'm not sure how long I'll be, so I'd say to go ahead without me." Evelyn told her.

"Are you sure?" Betty asked her.

"You girls go ahead and if I get home in time I'll join you, how's that?" And she headed toward the stairs.

Twenty minutes later she pulled the car into the hospital parking lot. She'd hoped that he would be on time but needn't have worried. What were the odds that she would park her car next to his? She didn't realize that he was there until she saw him and without a word he offered his arm to her and she took it. It was too cold to talk so they walked in silence until they reached the coffee shop and Rafe ushered her inside.

There was something so clandestine about what they were doing and Evelyn felt increasingly more uncomfortable about it. But as uncomfortable as she felt, she was not ready to talk to her friends about what was going on. They sat at their usual table and ordered coffee and pie and as they waited, they talked.

It was something that came so easily to them now and they talked about everything. They hadn't even known each other for three weeks yet and Evelyn felt she'd known him for much longer than that. The more they were together the more she realized that they fit; she couldn't say that about anyone else but him.

They always lost track of time too because when Evelyn finally thought to look at her watch, it was nearly nine thirty. It was time for her leave because she had an early call at the hospital. "I hate to do this, but I have to go."

Rafe looked at his own watch and nodded. "Yea me too. Flight trainin' comes early."

He paid the check and then helped her on with her coat before he got into his own jacket. She put her gloves on just before he took her hand and they walked outside. 

"Mama would say it's as cold as a witch's elbow." Rafe observed about the weather.

Evelyn smiled. "Dad would put it a different way." 

And they laughed together as he walked her to her car. "Thanks for meetin' me tonight. I know it's been hard not tellin' your friends about this."

"It has." She admitted.

"We can always tell them, you know."

She nodded. "We can, but I'm not ready to."

He grinned. "Fair enough."

As they stood next to her car, they kept a hold of the other's hand. "So what are your plans for Christmas?" Evelyn asked him.

"Danny and I are goin' home to Tennessee. I haven't seen Mama or Daddy in six months and I really want to see them. You'll be goin' home to your folks?"

She nodded. "Yes. It's been about that long since I've seen my parents too and I really miss them."

"I'll miss you." 

She felt her face flush. "You'll be too busy with your family to miss me."

Rafe let go of her hand long enough to put his arms around her and he was very serious as he pulled her to him. "I'll never be too busy when I'm home to miss you." And he kissed her.

Evelyn put her arms around his neck and kissed him back. She loosened her hold enough to whisper in his ear, "I'll miss you too."

She woke with a start.

Evelyn looked over to the other side of the bed and Rafe was not there. Christmas Day had come and he'd not made it home. She was worried but maybe Martha had been right about no news being good news. She'd called Wheeler Field on Christmas Eve to see if they could tell her anything and she should have known better than to ask because all they told her was that the mission was classified.

She'd forgotten about that night in New York until a few days ago and it was a nice memory to relive, if only in her dreams. What she wouldn't give to be able to go back there and not be in the middle of a war. On the other hand if she could she wouldn't be married to Rafe or have his children. 

The girls had gone home to their families, but Evelyn had decided to stay in Hawaii. His parents and hers had wanted to come back, but for anyone who wasn't in the military it was almost impossible to travel during the holidays. So instead they each sent boxes of Christmas gifts for Evelyn to put under the tree for her family. 

She didn't have the heart to open the gifts that morning and luckily, Danny and Sarah were too young to grasp the idea of Christmas. The one gift that she had been sorely tempted to open was from Rafe. He'd made sure to buy presents for his family and even wrapped them. He told Evelyn where he'd put them and asked her to put them under the tree for him if he wasn't going to make it home.

She'd sat by the tree early that morning and held the wrapped gift from him. But as much as she'd wanted to open it, she wanted to wait until he got home. Danny had been lucky enough to have his Daddy home for Christmas the year before and she wanted Sarah to have him home too if it was possible, even though that might mean they'd open presents in January or February.

She hadn't realized when she and Rafe had gone to the beach the day after Thanksgiving that that would be the last day they would spent together; he was gone early the next morning.

She missed him and she wanted him home, but he had a job to do and she knew that. She looked at his empty side of the bed again and felt a mixture of such pride and fear for him and for what he was doing. He was a pilot trained for combat and he'd already been shot down once but he'd come back to her. Her greatest fear was that he'd be shot down again and she wouldn't be as lucky the second time.

She sighed and moved over to his side of the bed and burrowed her face into his pillow. There was still a faint scent of him as she wrapped her arms around it and went back to sleep.


	3. Better Late Than Never

1944 was just around the corner and Rafe and Danny were on their way home.

Their latest mission had been a success and they were both anxious to get back to Hawaii. For Rafe, it was to celebrate a belated Christmas with his family and for Danny, it was to see the New Year in with Sandra. She'd told him she would be going home to her family and would be back before the New Year.

When the transport finally landed, it was early in the morning and it was New Year's Eve. All Rafe wanted to do was get home and sleep in his own bed, with his wife. He hated to sleep in those Army issue bunks because they were about as comfortable as a bed of nails. 

A military bus sat just outside the gate and Rafe and Danny boarded it as they gave the driver their destinations. They sat next to each other and as the bus got closer to the house, Rafe started to get anxious. He always got that way before going out a mission and when he came home. He didn't like being away from his family for weeks at a time because the kids seemed to change so much every time he came home. But at least he did get to see them.

An elbow in his side told Rafe he needed to wake up. He hadn't realized he'd fallen asleep until he opened his eyes to see Danny with a grin on his face. "I forgot that you could fall asleep anywhere. You're home Rafe."

He looked out the window and sure enough, there was the house. "Shake a leg Captain. I've got other men to drop off." The driver called back to him.

He stood up and grabbed his travel bag from the overhead rack. "I'm comin'." He looked at Danny and grinned. "Ya'll goin' to come over tonight?"

"If Sandra ain't home yet, I'll come by myself. Anyone else comin'?"

"Evelyn would know that so I'll call you later and let you know." 

"Thanks Rafe. Get some rest, you deserve it."

He smiled at his best friend. "You did a hell of a job yourself Danny." And he walked to the front of the bus and raised a hand in farewell as he stepped off and headed up the front walk. When he reached the front porch, he opened the front door and the first thing he saw and smelled was the Christmas tree in the front window. Underneath were the Christmas presents and Rafe sighed because it was obvious that she'd not opened anything.

He found the light cord and plugged it in to take a look at the tree; she'd done a wonderful job. He stood and looked at it and didn't hear the footsteps of his one year old come down the hall. It wasn't until he looked down to see his son as _he_ looked at the tree. Rafe put a finger to his lips and hoped Danny would understand that he wanted him to be quiet. The boy looked at his father with a sleepy grin on his face and Rafe picked him up. "Mornin' son. What are you doin' up?"

Danny put his head down on Rafe's shoulder and promptly fell asleep. He grinned because his best friend had just told him _he_ could fall asleep anywhere and the same seemed to hold true for his own son. Rafe carried the boy down to his room and put him back to bed. He tucked him in and watched the boy for another moment before he turned and left the room to go back out to the living room. He unplugged the tree lights, picked up his travel bag and walked down the hall to his own room.

He put his bag down just inside the door and smiled as he saw Evelyn curled up on his side of the bed; she was sound asleep. He checked on Sarah, who was in the bassinet next to Evelyn's side of the bed, she too was asleep. He was so tired and all he wanted to do was hit the sack, but what he wanted even more was a hot shower. 

Evelyn was roused from her sleep because she thought she heard the shower. She glanced at the clock on Rafe's nightstand and it said five o'clock. _It must be a dream_, she told herself as she closed her eyes and went back to sleep.

When she woke a second time, she knew it wasn't a dream because she felt the bed dip and an arm curl around her. He needed to sleep, but she wanted him to know that she was aware that he was there. "Welcome home Rafe." She whispered and curled her arm around his.

"I've missed you Evelyn." He said as he pulled her against him. "I've missed this too." He added.

"Me too." She told him and they both fell asleep.

Evelyn had no idea what time it was when she woke again, but she knew that Rafe wasn't there. When she opened her eyes, he was in the rocking chair with Sarah in the crook of his arm. She was such a good baby and Evelyn lay quietly and watched him give his daughter her morning bottle. 

He seemed to sense that he was being watched because he looked up at her and smiled. "Hey sleepy head."

"Hey yourself Captain. How long have you been awake?" 

"Not long. I heard her startin' to fuss so I thought I should take care of her before she woke you." 

She smiled back at him. "You should have said something; I would have gotten up. You need your rest." She finished and started to get up.

"You stay right there Mrs. McCawley; I've got it covered. Besides, I haven't had much of a chance to do this."

Evelyn settled back in bed. "If you insist."

"I insist."

"What time did you get in?" She asked him.

"About four thirty. I noticed that none of the presents are open." 

She nodded. "I know. But I just didn't have the heart to have Christmas without you. Danny's still little enough that he doesn't understand about Santa Claus and I didn't think it would matter. Next year might be a different story though."

"I may not be home next Christmas either." He pointed out.

"I know that and that's something we'll deal with when the time comes. But for now you're home and we can have Christmas as a family."

"That we can Evelyn." And he turned his attention back to his daughter who had finished her bottle. He checked to see how much she had taken and grinned. "She took the whole thing, that's my girl."

"She's missed you."

"How can she miss me when she's only three months old?" Rafe asked her.

"Because I know how she feels."

His grin got wider as he made sure that Sarah was done before he put her back in her bassinet. "Well, I guess now that I've taken care of one of my girls it's time to take care of the other one." And he got back into bed and lay down next to her.

"I'd appreciate that." She smiled as he pulled her to him and kissed her.

They sat all together later that morning as Rafe and Evelyn opened the presents that had sat under the tree and Danny's eyes got wider and wider as each gift was opened. Evelyn thought it was more about the shiny paper that crinkled as Rafe helped his son open a gift from one his grandparents.

Rafe had called Danny after he and Evelyn had gotten up. He told him that Sandra was back in Hawaii and they were both expected at the house to see the New Year in. The other girls would be there as well and he asked Danny to invite the other pilots to come if they didn't have any other plans.

He told Rafe that they would all be there and thanked him. "There's nothin' as sad as a bunch of pilots on their own on New Years Eve."

It was to be a casual affair and later that day, the nurses and pilots started to show up. 

Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians were on the radio with their New Year's Eve broadcast. As everyone ate and Rafe cracked open a bottle of champagne, they began to wonder where Danny and Sandra were.

"Leave them alone." Evelyn admonished them. "They haven't seen each other in over a month and I'm sure they want some time together before they come over and have put up with all of you."

"What are you saying Ev, that we're nosy?" Martha grinned at her.

Evelyn smiled back. "Very nosy."

"Ev..." Barbara started but she was cut off.

"Leave them alone Barbara."

She smiled. "You were a _lot_ more fun."

"That's because I told you everything."

That got Rafe's attention. "Everything?" He asked as he filled the champagne glasses.

Evelyn flushed as she looked at her husband. "I didn't mean _that_."

Barbara laughed out loud. "She never gave details Rafe, she just did that." She told him, in reference to Evelyn's pink cheeks.

Evelyn was saved from further embarrassment by a knock at the front door. She walked over to answer it and when she opened it, Danny was there with Sandra. She noticed that he had tried to drop her hand before Evelyn saw, but she ignored it. "Come on in you two, we've been waiting for you."

"I'm sorry we're late Ev." Sandra apologized to her.

Evelyn shook her head. "There's no need to be sorry Sandra, I'm just glad you made it." And she ushered them inside as she closed the door and followed them back into the living room.

Before any of them realized it, the New Year was upon them and Rafe refilled their glasses as the countdown began. _Five, four, three, two, one... Happy New Year!_

They each took a sip from their glasses and hugged each other as they welcomed in the New Year. 

They stood together and sang with Guy Lombardo's orchestra, _"Should auld acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind, should auld acquaintance be forgot in days of Auld Lang Syne."_

As they always did during the holidays, they remembered lost friends and celebrated being together. The war had been costly to them so far and they hoped that no one else would be lost.

That was their wish for 1944.


End file.
